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Gonorrhea
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Gonorrhea is a sexually transmitted infection. It is caused by Neisseria gonorrhoeae, a bacterium that under the microscope looks like a gram-negative diplococcus: two little spheres stuck together that do not hold the Gram stain.
The way it settles in depends on appendages called pili, which are like hairs covering the surface of the bacterium. The pili extend to hook onto an epithelial cell from a distance and then retract, pulling the bacterium up close to the cell. The pili work like harpoons that are thrown far out and then reeled back in. Once attached, the bacterium invades the cell.
If the infection is not treated, it does not stay where it started. It can spread to the uterus, the fallopian tubes, and the ovaries. In men it can cause epididymitis, which is inflammation of the epididymis, the duct attached to the testicle; prostatitis, inflammation of the prostate; and urethral stricture, a narrowing of the tube that carries urine.
In brief
Gonorrhea is a sexually transmitted infection caused by Neisseria gonorrhoeae, a gram-negative diplococcus.
The bacterium attaches to the epithelium with pili, appendages that extend and retract to pull it closer, and then invades the cell.
The pili work like harpoons that are thrown far out and then reeled back in.
Untreated, it can spread to the uterus, the tubes, and the ovaries, and in men cause epididymitis, prostatitis, and urethral stricture.
Sources (1)
- National Center for Biotechnology Information, StatPearls PublishingGonorrhea, StatPearlsPublished
This page explains the topic in general terms; it does not tell anyone what treatment to follow.
Updated